The term #democracy refers to the interrelation of a group of strangers, as we find them in cities. It does not refer to communties as groups of people known to each other. If you know each other you can negotiate – no need for a concept of governance.

Democracy was first recorded in ancient Greek cities (which doesn't mean that it didn't exist elsewhere – we just don't have other written sources). It was then the mode of governance in those Italian cities, which developed basic #capitalism, and it also dominated in the Netherlands as the first capitalistic naval power.

Only with the development of new means of transportation, communication and movement during the 17th century, the idea of applying democracy beyond cities became a realistic scenario. Yet, we could also say that huge countries became city-like in their interconnections. It means the same in the context of my argument.

Be that as it may, democracy is a mode of equal interconnection of people. This is the only meaningful definition of democratic equality, as individuals are different from each other, and not equal, and become even more diverse under the condition of democracy.

It's very important to emphasise this point: democracy refers to the links and connections and talking and mutual influencing of a group of people unknown to each other.

Missing it, exposes the idea of democracy to a whole range of contradictions. We already mentioned the obvious #inequality of people. Also, every negotiation, deal and contract generates new inequalities (one enjoys a right, whereas another one enters an obligation; one wins and another one loses, etc.).

This is to say that democracy requires a free public space as the shared sphere of deliberation. In a community, you know where to find and how to adress others. Under the city-like condition of living together with strangers you need a public space to communicate with them.

This is why the ideas of a #digitalindependenceday and the knowledge of #freesoftware and free hardware are so important. It's not about emulating or competing with commercial providers – it's about remaining autonomous.

On 25 September 2025, all my alarm bells rang: 33 leaders of tech companies demonstrated an embarrassing devotion towards an US president who openly confesses his distaste for a meaningful concept of democracy.

Wait – doesn't he talk abot democracy as the “power of the people” all the time?! Here we are: he talks about the mobilisation of communities to build a huge bond – a fasci in Italian – in order to expel all non-members. That's not democracy. Democracy is about the interconnection of all who are present – which requires a protection of the weak and the minorities in the first place.

https://mastodon.social/@upolotse Rome wasn't burnt in a day.